Men versus women: Who knows what looks best?

How does the verdict of fashion experts tally up against the opinion of regular guys?

It’s a common myth that men generally don’t agree with women’s fashion choices. We wanted to put the myth to test and see how the verdict of a female fashion expert tallies up against the opinion of regular guys.

So, meet the boys;

Essa Malik

28, is a graphic designer and photographer who likes all things beautiful. He is currently single

Shaheryar Popalzai

28, is a journalist by day and pseudo-punk by night. He is engaged.

Jahanzaib Haque

30, is a news-obsessed social media junkie who has spent an inordinate amount of his life checking out women, mostly on Facebook. He is currently married.

The Guru, Amna Iqbal

Amna Iqbal – has been in and out of fashion therapy. A recent near death overdose of Louboutins combined with Sunday market chic, she was sent to ‘FCFMPD’ (Fashion Correctional Facility for the Mentally ill and Potentially Dangerous patients). She, however, escaped and is currently a fashion fugitive. If you find her, please don’t write to us, just save yourself.

About Alizeh Waqar:

Essa: I really like the coat like feel of the dress. The combination of the clean cut and the modern aesthetic make it very easy on the eyes. The colour of the shoes blend in with the stockings/tights, a different choice of colour would have added some contrast.

Shaheryar: This looks like a soldier’s uniform. Well, okay not a soldier but definitely a marching band uniform.

Jahanzaib: Dig the hair, love the makeup, am a fan of those large hoop earrings and quite like the shoes. I even like the shiny gold fabric, but unfortunately, something is not working here when it comes to the kameez (or is it a dress, or a sherwani?). Due to the kaam or the fall of the cloth in the front, it looks like Alizeh has on a bullet-proof vest under that admittedly rich suit of armour. It doesn’t sit well on her slender figure in my opinion and the collar is just odd. Verdict: with a tinge of regret, pass.

The Guru: Alizeh gives my nerves some peace. Black and gold is infallible and she adds just the right amount of red to pull the looks together. If only the tailor hadn’t bailed on her at the last minute, the jacket would have been cropped and fitted as it is meant to be and would not have looked like her brother’s sherwani.

About Maheen Kardar:

Essa: I like this look. It strikes the perfect balance between simple shirt and heavy embroidery. The hair and makeup also compliment the look.

Shaheryar: That looks like a dude’s kameez. The bottoms are just okay. And those accessories… why?

Jahanzaib: Ouch. So much time wasted on such awful pants! They look like a classic case of ‘not sure where I’m going with this so I’ll keep adding stuff till it makes sense’. I’m going to plead the fifth on the rest of this outfit. Verdict: definite pass.

The Guru: Now I get it! Maheen is probably the yin yang of the fashion universe. The balance is restored, literally with Ms. Kardar wearing ethnic chic exactly the way it’s meant to be worn – the perfect blend of heavy and light. The basic purple of her kameez balances everything else. The hair and makeup is casual enough to put the chic in ethnic, which is not easy since most people trying ethnic chic end up looking like they just milked a cow. This one doesn’t. In fact, the pants are so gorgeous, I would sell my cattle fleet if I had one for them.

About Faryal Aftab:

Essa: If the muse for your look is a child’s toy then you are bound to look like one. Raggedy Ann doll anyone? Polka dot overdose is all I can say. A bigger plain belt might have saved the look but right now it’s a complete fashion faux pas.

Shaheryar: No. Just, no. Who said this looked good? That jumpsuit looks like it was picked up from the local circus clown’s rack. Horrible.

Jahanzaib: Jumpsuits. No man worth his salt will ever like a woman in a jumpsuit. Please don’t make this the trend of the season! Please!!! I love the curly hair though. Verdict: pass.

The Guru: Ok kids don’t look. Yes I know she’s scary. There must’ve been a mix up on the organisers part. I’m calling them. It’s not Halloween. Wait. Maybe she stole Bobo the happy clown’s clothes! That would explain the shape of her ..umm.. sack? Gift wrapper? Jumpsuit? Ah. Jumpsuit.

Well I hate to admit it, Ms. Faryal-bobo-the-scary-clown-Aftab, but the belt clinching at your waist does not absolve you of scaring the kids. And we know that the polka dots combined with your hair colour, is a deliberate attempt at causing migraines.

It’s for people like me who love a little bit of Fun and Masti. Hope you know what these two words mean.Recommend

Khan Sahab

@Nandita.:
dear child Im a senior residing in the west with little interest in fashion. Pardon me. but in my younger days I surely knew what fun and masti meant.Recommend

Nandita.

@Khan Sahab:

I am sorry. Did not mean to offend/hurt some one who is probably many decades older than me.
ET is a great platform which caters to interests of people who fall in different age brackets and who come from varied backgrounds. We can chose to read the blogs we like and ignore the rest.
There is something here for everyone. Have a good day and I apologize once again.Recommend

Women know what looks best. Of guys, only the gay ones have opinions worth listening to on what to wear. Recommend

https://twitter.com/Pugnate Noman Ansari

@Khan Sahab:

Someone surely is. I am not interested, but really, there are five subsections on the blogs page. Why go to “The Good Life” and waste energy telling us how useless it is. Surely that is more useless? Recommend

Falcon

It took me some time to figure out ‘The Guru’ (Amna Iqbal) is herself the author of this blog :)…being a man I can hardly make head or tail out of women’s fashion, but it was certainly a fun read.Recommend

Khan Sahab

Nandita its alright I was not offended by your comment. I did not mean to offend anyone. I guess my question was wrong. I apologize.Recommend

Huma

What was the purpose of this write up – even if it was trying to be funny – is lost on me! Recommend

Women know what looks best. Of guys, only the gay ones have opinions worth listening to on what to wear.

An absolutely cheap comment.
There are loads of secure men out there who don’t feel the need to abide by shallow,rigid, absolutely illogical and antiquated social norms of what constitutes masculinity.
A simple google search will reveal that some of the top designers in the world are straight men. Catch up with the rest of us. It’s 2012. Recommend

@Nandita your comment was funny it made me LOL, but I think Jehanzeb is a bit kind hearted thats why he passed all the dresses. :) Im like that too, kindhearted I meant :PRecommend

Nandita.

@Ayesha Pervez:

All of you are kind hearted, sensible people Ayesha. You, Jahanzaib haque, noman ansari, parvez, Zahra and some other pakistanis I’ve come across here on ET. I’ll always remember all of you as the good souls from across the border.Recommend

Men are Men & Women are Women, both are well equipped with divine sense, creativity, artistic skills. In waves of vogue; we all are a bit of “Sinner & Saints” Thank You! :-)Recommend

Sadaf

Another Sexist column. Yes let us just pick a random bunch of women and subject them to ridicule for their dress sense…You guys are very creative. Oh and look it is the same Bunch of loser Man Boys in the judjing panel. Recommend